Traditional liberal freedoms are obsolete as the definition of a free society
Evidence
Contemporary industrial civilization demonstrates that it has reached the stage at which “the free society” can no longer be adequately defined in the traditional terms of economic, political, and intellectual liberties, not because these liberties have become insignificant, but because they are too significant to be confined within the traditional forms. New modes of realization are needed, corresponding to the new capabilities of society. — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 111
Categorization
- DEFINE: A compression of Marcuse’s dialectical claim that realizing rather than discarding the traditional freedoms demands new forms.
- QUESTION: Worth chasing: which concrete ‘new modes of realization’ does Marcuse actually specify anywhere, or does the dialectic stay purely formal?
- XREF: connects to: Neoliberals redefine freedom as something to be limited and detached from democracy — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 119; Free expression is meaningless without the social power to be heard — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 355; Liberalism is not actually impartial in theory or practice — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice:…, 357 (+3 more)
Broader Connections
- The system’s celebrated freedoms function as instruments of domination
#corroborates(0.80) — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 45 - Neoliberals redefine freedom as something to be limited and detached from democracy
#complicates(0.78) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 119 - Basic agreement about freedom’s meaning has collapsed in the twenty-first century
#corroborates(0.78) — Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café, 1002 - Liberalism is not actually impartial in theory or practice
#complicates(0.74) — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice, 357 - Free expression is meaningless without the social power to be heard
#expands(0.72) — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 355 - Political freedom is impossible without economic freedom
#qualifies(0.72) — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 407